Method for producing a tight, form-fitting connection

ABSTRACT

A method is provided for producing a tight, form-fitting connection between a housing cover and a housing body, wherein the housing cover has cover tabs protruding from an edge thereof, and an edge area of the housing body has recesses for respectively receiving the cover tabs. The method involves positioning the housing cover on the housing body and deforming the cover tabs in the housing recesses to produce the tight, form-fitting connection in a single operation with a single tool.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for producing a tight, form-fittingconnection between a housing cover and a housing body.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

With the production of controller housings, in particular of controldevices for the automotive industry, the housing cover is usuallyconnected with the housing body by means of gluing, riveting orscrewing. Here, usually in a first operation the housing cover ispositioned on the housing body by means of a suitable positioning tool.Subsequently, the connection between the housing cover and the housingbody is produced by means of a further tool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, the object of the invention to create a simple andcost-saving method which makes it possible to connect a housing coverwith a housing body in an automated production.

The method according to the invention describes the production of atight, form-fitting connection between a housing cover and a housingbody, for the example of a controller housing, as it is used in theautomotive industry. Cover plates are arranged on the edge of thehousing cover. On the edge of the housing body regions are arranged forreceiving the cover plates. The regions on the edge of the housing bodycan be embodied as continuous recesses or as blind holes. Preferably,the positioning of the housing cover on the housing body and theproduction of the tight, form-fitting connection is performed in asingle operation with a single tool. Once the housing cover has beenpositioned on the housing body, the cover plates are shaped in such away as to produce the tight, form-fitting connection between the housingcover and the housing body in the regions of the housing body. Thus, themethod is accelerated and more cost-effective by the saving of tools andseparate connection means such as screws or rivets.

For increasing the tightness of the connection, between the housingcover and the housing body advantageously a circumferential seal, e.g.of polyethylene, can be arranged. The seal can be arranged alternativelyon the housing cover or on the housing body, depending on theinstallation position. The seal can in particular be injection-molded orcan be embodied as an insertion seal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and features of the invention will become apparentfrom the subsequent description of an example of embodiment of theinvention on the basis of the accompanying drawings, in which

FIGS. 1 to 3 show the production of the connection, wherein on the edgeof a housing body a continuous recess is embodied,

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the production of the connection, wherein on the edgeof the housing body a blind hole is embodied, and

FIG. 6 shows a housing cover with cover plates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a housing made of a housing cover (1) and a housing body(2). On the edge of the housing cover (1) a plurality of protrudingcover plates or cover tabs (3) is formed, as is shown in FIG. 6. On theedge of the housing body (2) a plurality of regions is arranged, whereineach region can respectively receive one cover plate (3). In FIG. 1 eachregion is embodied as an open through-going hole or recess (7), whilethe regions or recesses (7) are distributed discontinuously around theperimeter of the edge of the housing body (2) like the cover tabs (3)around the perimeter of the edge of the housing cover (1) as shown inFIG. 6. The cover plate or tab (3) is shown already partly protrudinginto the recess (7). The tool (5, 6) is embodied in two pieces, of apositioning tool (5) and a deforming tool (6).

In FIG. 2 a circumferential O-ring seal (4) is inserted into acorresponding groove on the housing body (2) and the positioning tool(5) has positioned the housing cover (1) by means of the cover plates(3).

In FIG. 3 the housing cover (1) is positioned on the housing body (2) bythe positioning tool (5). Simultaneously, the deforming tool (6) hasflanged the cover plate or tab (3) around the edge of the housing body(2) in the recess (7). Between the housing cover (1) and the housingbody (2) thus a tight, form-fitting connection is produced in a singleoperation with a single tool (5, 6).

FIG. 4 shows the initial situation as in FIG. 1, however, here theregion on the edge of the housing body (2) is embodied as a blind hole(8) for receiving a cover plate (3). As in FIG. 4, here the cover plate(3) is already preformed.

In FIG. 5 the O-ring seal (4) is inserted into a corresponding groove onthe housing body (2). In a single operation, the housing cover (1) ispositioned on the housing body (2) by the positioning tool (5) and thecover plate or tab (3) is positively pressed and deformed in the blindhole (8). In particular the direction of the contact pressure can beachieved by varying the height difference of the points A and B in theblind hole (8). Thus a tight, form-fitting connection between thehousing cover (1) and the housing body (2) is produced in a singleoperation with a single tool (5, 6).

Advantageously, as is indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the positioning tool(5) and the deforming tool (6), are spring-loaded for the example by thespring (9). Thus, in particular rough tolerances of the individualhousing parts (1, 2, 3, 7, 8) are made up, which leads to a cost savingmainly with regard to the material. Another advantage of the method isthat by omission of the connection means, such as rivets or screws, thewall thickness of the housing cover (1) can be kept small.

FIG. 6 shows a housing cover (1) with two protruding cover plates ortabs (3) respectively on each side. The number of the cover plates (3)per side can vary as needed.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for producing a tight form-fittingconnection between a housing cover and a housing body, wherein thehousing cover has cover tabs protruding from an edge of the housingcover, and wherein the housing body has receiver regions providedadjacent to an edge of the housing body for receiving the cover tabs,said method comprising positioning the housing cover on the housing bodyand producing the tight form-fitting connection in a single coordinatedoperation with a single coordinated tool, wherein, once the housingcover has been positioned on the housing body using the singlecoordinated tool, then the producing of the tight form-fittingconnection comprises shaping the cover tabs using the single coordinatedtool to produce the tight form-fitting connection with the cover tabsreceived and engaged in the receiver regions of the housing body.
 2. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the receiver regions are continuousthrough-going holes penetrating through the housing body adjacent to theedge thereof, and the producing of the tight form-fitting connectioncomprises engaging the cover tabs respectively into the through-goingholes and flanging the cover tabs respectively around respective edgesof the through-going holes in the housing body.
 3. The method accordingto claim 1, wherein the receiver regions are blind holes in the housingbody adjacent to the edge of the housing body, and the producing of thetight form-fitting connection comprises compressing the cover tabsrespectively into the blind holes.
 4. The method according to claim 1,further comprising arranging a circumferential seal member between thehousing cover and the housing body before the producing of the tightform-fitting connection.
 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein thearranging comprises arranging the circumferential seal member on thehousing cover.
 6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the arrangingcomprises arranging the circumferential seal member on the housing body.7. A method of securing a housing cover on a housing body, wherein saidhousing cover has plural cover tabs protruding from an edge thereof,said cover tabs are distributed discontinuously around a perimeter ofsaid edge of said housing cover, said housing body has plural receiverholes therein at locations corresponding to said cover tabs, and saidmethod comprises the steps: a) using a first tool member, positioningsaid housing cover on said housing body so that said cover tabs of saidhousing cover respectively align with and reach into said receiver holesof said housing body; b) using a second tool member, deforming saidcover tabs of said housing cover to respectively engage said receiverholes of said housing body, thereby establishing a tight form-fittingconnection of said housing cover onto said housing body, which securessaid housing cover on said housing body; wherein said positioning andsaid deforming are performed as directly successive steps in sequenceone after another.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein saidpositioning and said deforming are performed as directly successivesteps in sequence one after another without moving any one of saidhousing body and said housing cover between or during said directlysuccessive steps.
 9. The method according to claim 7, wherein duringsaid deforming using said second tool member, said first tool memberremains in its position reached when completing said positioning. 10.The method according to claim 7, wherein said first tool member includesa horizontal tool surface and a vertical tool surface, and whereinduring said positioning said horizontal tool surface of said first toolmember contacts and positions a horizontal top surface of said housingcover and said vertical tool surface of said first tool member contactsand positions a vertical outer side surface of a respective one of saidcover tabs.
 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said secondtool member includes a horizontal tool surface, and wherein during saiddeforming said horizontal tool surface of said second tool membercontacts and deforms a horizontally extending portion of said respectivecover tab so as to engage said respective cover tab in a respective oneof said receiver holes.
 12. The method according to claim 7, whereinsaid receiver holes are respective through-going open holes penetratingthrough said housing body, said through-going open holes respectivelyinclude undercut rims, and said deforming comprises bending said covertabs around said undercut rims so as to engage said cover tabs undersaid undercut rims in said through-going open holes.
 13. The methodaccording to claim 12, wherein said positioning of said housing cover isperformed by moving said first tool member downwardly, and said bendingof said cover tabs around said undercut rims is performed by moving saidsecond tool member upwardly toward said first tool member.
 14. Themethod according to claim 7, wherein said receiver holes are respectiveblind holes recessed into said housing body without penetrating throughsaid housing body, and said deforming comprises bending a transverselyextending portion of a respective one of said cover tabs to betransversely compressively braced between opposite sidewalls of arespective one of said blind holes.
 15. The method according to claim14, wherein said positioning of said housing cover is performed bymoving said first tool member downwardly, and said bending of saidtransversely extending portion of said respective cover tab is performedby moving said second tool member downwardly.
 16. The method accordingto claim 7, wherein said positioning and said deforming are performed bydriving one of said tool members downwardly, and moving another of saidtool members spring-biasedly together with said one of said tool memberswith a spring-biased coupling therebetween.
 17. The method according toclaim 7, further comprising, before said step a), arranging an elasticperimeter seal member between said housing cover and said housing bodyaround a perimeter of a housing cavity enclosed between said housingcover and said housing body, so that said tight form-fitting connectionestablished in said step b) is tightly sealed by said elastic perimeterseal member.